STRAIN ENERGY &

CASTIGLIANO’S THEOREM

Shigley’s
Mechanical Engineering Design
McGraw Hill
 Strain Energy
The external work done on an elastic member in deforming it is
transformed into strain, or potential, energy.

If the member is deformed a distance y, and if the force-deflection

relationship is linear, this energy is equal to the product of the average
force and the deflection.
 Castigliano’s Theorem
 A most unusual, powerful, and often surprisingly simple approach to
deflection analysis is afforded by an energy method called Castigliano’s
theorem.

 It is a unique way of analyzing deflections and is even useful for finding

the reactions of indeterminate structures.

 Castigliano’s theorem states that:

“when forces act on elastic systems subject to small displacements, the

displacement corresponding to any force, in the direction of the force, is
equal to the partial derivative of the total strain energy with respect to
that force.”
 Castigliano’s Theorem

Castigliano’s theorem can be used to find the deflection at a point even

though no force or moment acts there. The procedure is:

1.Set up the equation for the total strain energy U by including the energy
due to a fictitious force or moment Qi acting at the point whose deflection
is to be found.

2.Find an expression for the desired deflection δi , in the direction of Qi ,

by taking the derivative of the total strain energy with respect to Qi .

3.Since Qi is a fictitious force, solve the expression obtained in step 2 by

setting Qi equal to zero. Thus,
Example 7
Using Castigliano's theorem, determine the deflection of point B in
the direction of the force F for the bar shown. The solid bar has a
uniform diameter, d. Neglect bending shear.
Example 7
Example 8
Determine the reaction force at the roller support.